The Intercept has verified that Brig. Gen. Moussa Salaou Barmou, the head of Niger’s Special Operations Forces and a key figure in the unfolding coup in Niger, received training from the U.S. military. Since 2008, military officers trained by the United States have been involved in 11 coups in West Africa.
Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions of violence.
Confidential documents obtained by NPR provide new details about one of the most celebrated U.S. military operations in recent history — and reveal flaws in the Pentagon’s claim that deadly airstrikes did not hit civilians.
This weekend saw a possible march on Moscow by the private military force Wagner group. Western media, politicians and various talking heads – and tails – have put forth their speculations, ranging from an attempted overthrow of the Russian government to a game of 5D chess by Vladimir Putin. To get a reality-based understanding of what happened and what it means going forward, Don DeBar spoke with Moscow-based analyst Mark Sleboda, via Skype, Monday.
“I work in a government ministry that is not engaged in gathering evidence of unlawful acts being committed, but we do have such agencies and, I assure you, they are already looking into it,” the top diplomat said
But no threat of any kind is required to conduct surveillance under Section 702. The law permits surveillance of any foreigner abroad, as long as a significant purpose of the surveillance is to acquire “foreign intelligence information.” FISA defines this term extremely broadly to include any “information related to . . . the conduct of U.S. foreign affairs.” A conversation between friends about whether the United States should do more to support Ukraine would justify surveillance under this definition.
Remember when WaPo said that Prigozhin had made a deal with the SBU?! 🧐💭 Wikipedia has already made an entry on the Wagner Group mutiny! Victoria Nuland is probably orgasming right now (sorry for the visual)!
RT: “A video purportedly filmed in Rostov-on-Don shows a tank and an armored personnel carrier (APC) driving past a group of police officers who are guarding a fuel station. More military hardware, including another tank, another APC, two armored cars and a truck, follow shortly afterwards.”YouTube: “Wagner with the National Guard & Russian Military [supposedly] TAKE OVER Russian Military HQ In Rostov-on-Don”.RT: “Video purportedly showing an armed confrontation between Wagner PMC forces and the Russian Army.”
The White House has said it is “monitoring the situation” in Russia. President Joe Biden has been informed about the developments, National Security Council spokesperson Adam Hodge told the media. US officials indicated that they consider the situation ‘serious’ and beyond Prigozhin’s previous statements launched against the Russian military leadership in the past, according to CNN.
QORQANYA, Syria — U.S. military officials are walking back claims that a recent strike in Syria killed an influential al-Qaeda figure, following assertions by the dead man’s family that he had no ties to terrorists but was a father of 10 tending to his sheep when he was slain by an American missile.
U.S. Special Operations forces are not required to vet for past human rights violations by the foreign troops they arm and train as surrogates, newly disclosed documents show.
…
The irregular warfare program has provided training to allied forces in countries that face a threat of invasion by larger neighbors, the senior Defense Department official said. The Washington Post has reported that an irregular warfare proxy program in Ukraine was terminated just before the Russian invasion, and that some officials want to restart it.
Ms. Cat’s Chronicles 
You must be logged in to post a comment.